Hiroshima Castle (in Japanese: 広島城, Hiroshima Jou) is a castle in Hiroshima Japan that was originally built in the 1590s. Mori Terumoto, a powerful feudal lord at the time, built Hiroshima Castle in 1589 and it became an important seat of power in Western Japan. The original castle was destroyed by the atomic bombing of Hiroshima on August 6, 1945 and the current structure(s) are a semi-faithful "replicas" of the original. Interestingly, Hiroshima Castle (also called the "Carp Castle"; 鯉城) was one of the few castles allowed to remain standing after the Meiji Restoration and was declared a National Treasure in 1931... but unfortunately met its fate in WW2. Only thirteen years later, in 1958, the "Main Keep" of the castle was re-built in concrete with an attractive, partially wooden exterior and the inside developed as an informative museum on the castle's history and Japanese castles in general. Recent reconstruction of the castle were built using traditional Japanese building methods and materials of the time. These "recent" reconstruction include the castle's main gate and two turrets adjoined by a long storehouse.

Hiroshima Castle is a "Flatland" Castle (as opposed to a "Hill Top" castle) and was built on a flat "plain" area which was located on a delta of the Otagawa river. When the castle was built, there was no Hiroshima city or town at the time and Hiroshima town to city developed around the castle as a castle town, whereby the castle was both the physical and economical center of the city. The castle never saw any action (was never attacked) during Japan's "Medieval Times" (exactly the reason for building a stronghold to prevent, deter and protect the "leader") but it did serve as a.) the Imperial General Headquarters was based there during the First Sino-Japanese War in 1894–1895 and b.) the headquarters of the 2nd General Army and Fifth Division, stationed there to stop the Allied invasion of the Japanese mainland.

If you are in Hiroshima as a tourist, please consider visiting the Castle. Hiroshima has the unfortunate distinction (and notoriety) of being one of only two cities to have been bombed by a nuclear device which in turn has brought many people to visit Hiroshima for that reason but... Hiroshima has much history before that event and its castle is a great example of Japanese culture for hundreds of years before the bomb. The "Replica" castle is well done and the castle is very beautiful. Furthermore it is just a short walk from the peace park and easy to visit.

Japanese Name: Hiroshima Castle 広島城

Original Year Built: 1591

Condition: Reconstructed in 1958 (concrete and wood with some traditional building methods)